Jeremy Corbyn used his questions to contrast the Government's cuts to corporation tax with reduced spending on child benefits, funding for 16+ education and the number of households suffering from 'in-work' poverty.
But the Prime Minister responded by telling Corbyn that reduced corporation tax had in fact led to increased tax receipts and used the questions to set out the Government's economic record.
Jeremy Corbyn notes the Chancellor found funds to reduce corporation tax last year - why has he cut benefits to children?
— Portcullis (@Portcullis_says) March 9, 2016
Strong response from PM outlining that corporation tax receipts have increased giving gvmt more money to spend on poverty reduction #pmqs
— Bellenden (@BellendenLtd) March 9, 2016
The Prime Minister made references to global forces affecting the economy, which some commentators thought could be a signal regarding next week's Budget.
Is Cameron's reference to global economic challenges, expectations management with the #Budget just a week away? #PMQs
— Westminster Advisers (@WA_Comms) March 9, 2016
Corbyn reached the milestone of his 100th question to David Cameron during a PMQs session and noted that he had yet to receive a straight answer from the Prime Minister during his previous 99 attempts.
But Cameron use the criticism to his own advantage and congratulated Corbyn for "100, not out" in reference to attempts by Labour moderates to oust him as leader. He quipped that he was sure this milestone was "welcomed across the house".
Commentators noted that Corbyn was not pressing home his potential advantage by jumping from subject to subject with his questions.
Corbyn's approach of rarely following up prevents him from doing any damage to Cameron, he gets away with giving a standard answer #pmqs
— Jack Carnell (@jackcarnell) March 9, 2016
The same could not be said for SNP leader Angus Robertson, who asked Cameron if he was ashamed by reports of the mistreatment of asylum seekers at a centre in Folkestone.
Angus Robertson asks PM if he's ashamed on the conditions suffered by asylum seekers in the UK this week. #PMQs
— Bellenden (@BellendenLtd) March 9, 2016
Robertson followed up with another question on the treatment and housing conditions of asylum seekers in Glasgow by the Government's contractor.
The next part of PMQs was a mixture of Conservative back-bench questions, cooked up by the Government's whips to allow Cameron to showcase the benefits of remaining in the EU, with questions which he found less helpful.
Richard Burgon asked if the PM will resign if the UK votes for exit from the UK. The PM said he would not.
— Portcullis (@Portcullis_says) March 9, 2016
Julie Elliott asked if the PM agreed with her that the UK gained significant economic benefit from membership of the EU.
— Portcullis (@Portcullis_says) March 9, 2016
The whips questions are out in force to support the EU. I'm sure giving Cameron the platform for his facts wont infuriate anybody #PMQs
— Jack Carnell (@jackcarnell) March 9, 2016
He did.
— Portcullis (@Portcullis_says) March 9, 2016
But serial Euro-sceptic and Conservative backbencher Bill Cash elicited a nervous response from Cameron when he questioned the neutrality of civil service white papers from the Foreign Office regarding the EU.
He did.
— Portcullis (@Portcullis_says) March 9, 2016
Ah yes... he did #PMQs
— Jack Carnell (@jackcarnell) March 9, 2016
PM bumbles slightly following criticism on content of EU White Papers. #PMQs
— Bellenden (@BellendenLtd) March 9, 2016
There was also a question from SNP backbencher Martyn Day on the emotive issue of tax on Scottish whisky, calling for a two per cent reduction in next week's Budget, but Cameron used the question to say that Scotland would have had to put up taxes on whisky and everything else if it had chosen to leave the UK during the recent referendum.
According to Brandwatch, there were 7,000 mentions of PMQs during the session with many tweeting about disabled people, cuts and Corbyn's 100th question.
Of the tweets that mentioned the party leaders, 17 per cent of those mentioning Cameron were positive, nearly 20 per cent were positive for Corbyn and 100 per cent were positive for Robertson.
